Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. NSU

Should I go to Penn State Greater Allegheny or Norfolk State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Greater Allegheny or NSU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. Norfolk State University comparison
Penn State Greater Allegheny Norfolk State University College 3 College 4
Norfolk State University
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Overview

Penn State Greater Allegheny NSU
Location McKeesport, PA Norfolk, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 363 5,783
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1008
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu nsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Greater Allegheny NSU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $5,752
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $16,920
Room & Board $12,254 $10,844
Avg Net Price $19,505 $14,652
Avg Grant Aid $10,269 $12,164
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 91%

Admission

Penn State Greater Allegheny NSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 672 8,884
Admitted 589 7,951
Acceptance Rate 87.6% 89.5%
Enrolled % 19.5% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA - 2.9
Typical High School Grades - B-
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 15/20
SAT Range 1040/1300 840/1040
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 31, 2024

Academics

Penn State Greater Allegheny NSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Greater Allegheny NSU
Graduation Rate 47% 33%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 27%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $31,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $320

Diversity

Penn State Greater Allegheny NSU
% Men 61% 33%
% Women 39% 67%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 61% 5%
% Black 19% 84%
% Hispanic 7% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Penn State Greater Allegheny NSU
% In-State 68% 65%
% Out-of-State 30% 31%

Campus

Penn State Greater Allegheny NSU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Norfolk State University is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (5,783 students vs. 363 students)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. NSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Greater Allegheny or NSU?

  • Penn State Greater Allegheny is 140.3% more expensive to attend than NSU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $5,752.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.4% higher at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Norfolk State University ($23,086.00 vs. $16,920.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Norfolk State University than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($14,652 vs. $19,505)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Norfolk State University are 13% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($10,844 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Norfolk State University than Penn State Greater Allegheny (91% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Norfolk State University students is 18.5% larger than aid received Penn State Greater Allegheny ($12,164 vs. $10,269)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. NSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Greater Allegheny or NSU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between NSU or Penn State Greater Allegheny .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943) is 135 points higher than at NSU (808)
  • Incoming Penn State Greater Allegheny students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at NSU (17)
  • NSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than Penn State Greater Allegheny (87.6%)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. NSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Greater Allegheny or NSU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between NSU and Penn State Greater Allegheny.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Greater Allegheny is higher than Norfolk State University (47% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $18,600 more per year than NSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $36,700)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny students graduate with a $4,182 lower median federal student loan debt than NSU graduates. ($26,818 vs. $31,000)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than NSU graduates. ($277 vs. $320)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 27%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/